62 per cent of French Catholics voted for Macron

Turnout was high among Catholic voters, with nearly four in five saying they intended to vote

More than three in five French Catholics voted for Emmanuel Macron in Sunday’s presidential election, a poll has said.

An IFOP poll for Pèlerin/La Croix found 62 per cent of Catholics voted for the independent candidate, with 71 per cent of regular Mass-goers choosing him over right-wing populist Marine Le Pen.

Macron fared slightly worse among “occasionally practising Catholics”, however, with only 54 per cent backing him compared to 46 per cent voting Le Pen.

Turnout was high among Catholic voters, with nearly four in five saying they intended to vote, slightly higher than Protestants (76 per cent), non-religious (73 per cent) and Muslims (62 per cent).

In the first round, French Catholics favoured Republican candidate François Fillon, although not by a wide enough margin to see him through to the second round. In total, 28 per cent of Catholics voted for Fillon, compared to 22 per cent each for Macron and Le Pen.

In the wake of the first round vote, pro-traditional family group Manif Pour Tous, who organised mass protests against same-sex marriage, condemned Macron, calling him the “anti-family” candidate.

Ludovine de La Rochère, the movement’s president, called on conservative voters not to back Macron, although she refused to endorse Le Pen.

“Some will cast blank ballots, others will go fishing, others will vote for Marine Le Pen. We’re not giving any instructions,” she told French media.

Marine Le Pen had vowed to scrap same-sex marriage if elected, although she remained strongly pro-abortion.